This is Mary who led us in a wonderful class on the effervescent world of French Champagne.

We tasted lots of champagne and other goodies

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Charcuterie, Gougeres and the acclaimed Gillardeau oysters known as the Rolls-Royce of oysters.

Without a doubt the best part was watching ATOP travelers pop the bottles.

Our expert, Mary, was teaching us how to open the bottle “so that it gives a soft sigh, much like that of a satisfied women” not a loud pop!

To open the bottle, take off the foil wrapper, keep your thumb on the top of the bottle, twist the wire tab towards yourself, six times. Keeping your thumb on the top, and hand over the wire cage, now twist the bottle, not the cork until it releases with a sigh.

I’ll be practicing this new way but I won’t lie, I love the loud pop champagne makes! It lets me know a party is about to start!

The three special ladies you see see in this post will be featured on my Facebook page atasteofparistrips and on Instagram stories @atasteofparis, this week. I hope you will check it out!

MOMS do so much for everyone else! I love when they do something for themselves like travel to FRANCE with me!